TBILISI. Feb 21 (Interfax) - The Georgian Foreign Ministry has condemned a meeting held in Minsk between Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and the leader of Abkhazia, Aslan Bzhania.
The meeting "grossly violates the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia," the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
"We call on Belarus to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognized borders and to stop acting in this manner, which runs counter to the fundamental principles and norms of international law," the statement said.
It was reported that at his meeting with Bzhania in Minsk on Tuesday Lukashenko said that Belarus was keen on cooperation with Abkhazia.
For his part, Bzhania stressed the importance of maintaining contact with Minsk in order to exit international isolation.
On returning from Belarus, Bzhania will continue the working-visit program in Moscow, his press service said.